落井下石

Pronunciation: luò jǐng xià shí Literal meaning: Throw stones at someone in a well

Origin & Usage

Han Yu, writing the tomb inscription for his friend Liu Zongyuan, turned aside to describe how people behave when a man's fortunes collapse: he falls into the pit, and rather than putting out a hand they shove him further and drop stones (下石) in after him. The four-character form keeps the pit as a well (落井). It is among the strongest condemnations available in ordinary Chinese, because what it names is not merely failing to help but choosing the moment of someone's weakness as the moment to strike.

Examples

English: "He took advantage of her misfortune to criticize her, showing his true character."

Chinese: 他在她落难时对她指责，真是落井下石。